Car-fender.



G. A. FULLERTON, DECD. M. H. FULLERTON, EXEOUTEIX. GAB. FENDER. APPLICATION FILED APR. 11, 1908.

1 ,O94,648, Patented Apr. 28, 191i 2 $HEETS-8HEET l.

gwsaee in/z/eivbarr W CLAZFM G. A. FULLERTON, DEGD. M. H. FULLERTON, EXEOUTRIX. GAR FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11, 1908. 1 $394,648., Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

fin m @Wjm invervZozw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A. FULLERTON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS; MARY HARRIET FULLERTON EXECUTRIX OF SAID GEORGE A. FULLERTON, DECEASED.

CAR-FENDER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. FULLER- TON, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Car-Fender, of which the following is a specification.

I have noticed that the majority of people who are injured by cars receive the injuries not by being forced under the wheels but by being struck by portions of the car and to prevent this and also to enable the person to aid himself in warding off the injury are the main objects of my invention which consists essentially in a yielding screen held in front of the car and against which the body of the person and especially the upper portion of the body strikes. In other words the person falls against my fender instead of onto it as heretofore.

A very important feature. of my invention is the hand holds which are so disposed that the person immediately after being struck may under the instinct of self-preservation seize them and aid himself.

Other features will be pointed out below.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side view of a fender embodying my invention and in place on a car; Fig. 2 is a plan of such a fender; Fig. is a front view of such a fender; and Figs. 4 and 5 show a modification hereinafter described.

Suspended from car A by suitable brackets B B are U-shaped bearings D. In these bearings the carriage or support E of the fender is slidably mounted. At the forward end of the carriage is pivoted arm E carrying three rubber cushioning rolls e e 6'. This arm is normally held against stop 6' by spring e but when struck will swing on its pivot so that the lower roll will be very close to the ground. Pivoted to the carriage E at c is member F of metal which carries stop 7' to limit the rearward movement of member F.

Bolt 6* is inserted to prevent forward movement of member F with relation to the carriage. Member G of metal is pivoted at f/ to member F and bolt g locks these two members in their open position. Side Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 11, 1908.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

Serial No. 426,469.

readily grasped by the hand. Of course any suitable size of cord may be used, and it may be attached to the frame in any suitable way. Hounted in the forward part of the carriage is metal grating L upon which the person may stand or rest.

While in Figs. 2 and 3 I have not indicated the whole of the cord netting yet it will be clear that a complete cord netting is to be used.

In Figs. & and 5 I have shown a modification of the cushioning rolls atthe front of the carriage which modification comprises a single rubber tube M. At the inside of this tube is plate on which is bolted through the roll to arm m. This arm m is pivoted to .the carriage at m and is held normally raised by spring m lVhen the rubb'er tube is struck by a. person it is swung downwardly close to the ground, and being of comparatively thin rubber and therefore to a large extent compressible will prevent any part of the person from getting beneath the fender and from being lacerated. Bolt N enters bolt hole n to lock the carriage in its forward position and enters bolt hole a to lock it in its rearward position bolt hole a being so located that the fender is held out of the way under the car while bolt hole 71/. is so located that when in use the fender will be at such a distance 1n front of the car that even allowing for the yielding of the screen yet the screen will not touch any part of the car.

In using my fender it is slid forward and bolted and the upper portion is unfolded and locked in its open position by its bolts. The rubber rolls will be held raised by the spring. \Vhen the fender strikes a person the rubber roll will give a yielding blow upon the persons foot or feet and the roll will be automatically swung down very close to the ground, so close that as a practical matter no portion of the persons body can get beneath the fender. .Vhen the person is struck he will be thrown against the yielding screen and his body will not be struck by any portion of the car itself. This effectually prevents any blow upon the body which can be in any way harmful. When the person is struck, or even before he is struck in case he might have seen the car but not in time to escape, he will immediately by instinct seize the hand holds and aid himself. This aiding of himself may consist in gill holding his body practically erect or it may consist. in gradually letting himself down onto the horizontal portion of the fender.

The rolls, or the tube in Fig. l, at the front of the carriage are not only cushions in themselves but being supported near their ends their middle portions yield bodily. The ends of the rolls or of the tube extend outwardly from their support so that they keep the person from striking any portion of the carriage. it will be noted that the rolls or tube extend. beyond the carriage itself both in front and sidewise so that a complete yielding barrier prevents contact between the person and all metal parts. When the fender is not to be used the upper members are collapsed and laid down upon the carriage, there being a stop to prevent the folded members resting upon the rubber rolls. The fender is then slid out of the way under the car and locked there.

Among the advantages of my fender it may be noted that it is very simple and inexpensive; that itis very strong and eflicient and at the same time not likely to get out of repair; that if repairs are needed they can be readily and quickly made, and it is very important that they be quickly made so that the car may not be long idle; that it protects the whole body and limbs comnletely; that it for the first time provides opportunity for a man to help himself; and that it strikes a yielding and harmless blow.

What I claim is:

1. A fender for cars comprising a horizontally movabl support; an approximately vertical frame carried by the support and comprising two parts movably connected and a screen with hand holds connected at the bottom to the frame, the vertical position of said frame being its operative position.

2. A fender for cars comprising a horizontally movable support; an approximately vertical frame movably connected at the bottom to the support and comprising two members movably connected and a screen with hand holds carried by the frame, the vertical position of said frame being its operative position.

3. ll. fender for cars comprising a horizontally movable support; an approximately vertical frame carrying an approximately vertical cord netting with hand holds and movably connected with the support and comprising two parts movably connected; means to positively lock said two movable parts against relative movement; and means to lock the frame with relation to its support, the vertical position of said frame being its operative position.

.1;. A fender for cars comprising a horizontally movable support; an approximately vertical frame carrying an approximately nominee vertical cord netting with hand holds and carried by the support and comprising two parts movably connected; and means to posi tively lock said two parts against relative movement, the vertical position of said frame being its operative position.

A fender for cars con'iprising a support; and a frame which is approximately vertical when in use but which is horizontally movable, said frame being pivoted to the support so that it may be swung away from the car when not in use but having positive engagement with the support when in its vertical position to prevent movement of the frame toward the car when struck.

6. A fender for cars comprising a horizontally movable support; an approximately vertical frame pivoted to the support and carrying a cord netting with hand holds and comprising two members pivoted together,

the upper of said two members being adapted to be folded on the lower of said members, and the two members when folded being adapted to be folded on the support, said netting being continuous and supported by both of said members.

7. A device for cars comprising a permanently horizontal fender member; and aseries of yielding members mounted on said fender member at its forward end to swing downwardly relatively to the fender when struck.

8. A fender for cars comprising a carriage mounted to move in and out beneath the car; a yielding member mounted at the end of the carriage to swing downwardly when struck; means to hold said member normally raised; an approximately vertical frame mounted. on and movably connected with said carriage and comprising two parts pivotally connected; and a yielding cord netting carried by said frame.

9. A fender for cars comprising a horizontal fender member; and. a rubber roll extending clear across the fender member at its front end and being supported near its ends only and mounted to swing downwardly relatively to the fender when struck, the central portion of the roll between its ends being free to yield bodily when struck.

10. A lender for cars comprising a normally approximately vertical frame consisting of two members pivoted together; a cord netting mounted on the frame, the mesh of the netting being of such size, that the netting may be seized by the hands and the netting extending upward suliiciently to receive the entire body of an upright person; a horizontally slidable support upon which the two members of the frame may be folded to occupy a horizontal position beneath the car; and a rubber roll mounted on the forward end of said support to swing clown- Wardly relatively to the support when struck.

11. A fender for cars comprising a nored to occupy a horizontal position beneath mally approximately vertical frame; a cord the car; and a rubber roll mounted on the net-ting mounted on the frame, the mesh of forward end of said support to swing as a the netting being of such size that the net Whole downwardly relatively to the support ting may be seized by the hand of the perwhen struck. son struck and the netting extending up- GEORGE A. FULLERTON. ward sufficiently to receive the entire body Witnesses: of an upright person; a horizontal slidable M. G. HENNEssY, support upon which the frame may be foldl G. A. ROCKWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

